Bring on "National Ice Cream Day"

Image from "Martha Stewart Living"

July 18th is "National Ice Cream Day". In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month and apparently he also established National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in the month...I'll go with that! Considering it's summer here in the USA I cannot think of a better celebration!

One of my favourite blogs is Eat-Drink-Chic, if you are familiar with it then you most likely saw Amy's "Ice Cream Parlour" post and all the wonderful downloads. One day I am going to print it all out and have that party for our friends, I am in awe of the design, and love that the style is vintage :)


Some of you may be aware that I absolutely adore red and white striped *ANYTHING*, so I thought I would create some fun downloads for you if you want to have your own red-and-white striped ice cream party! If you click on the images they will appear full size and you can save them then print them out. Enjoy!

To start off your party planning, you may want to give out some party invitations! I suggest you print these onto card!

I love welcome signs at parties, and again, this would be much better printed on card, or otherwise stuck onto the front of a board of some sort.



For the table, you will definitely need some place cards, and again, print on card for these also.



And finally, if you are planning to make ice-cream cones, then you'll undoubtedly want to have some matching cone wraps to go with the theme :)

Happy National Ice Cream Day, thanks Ronald Reagan!

La Fête nationale, Happy Bastille Day!

Bastille Day, or as the French may refer to it, "La Fête nationale" (and commonly le quatorze juillet), is the French National holiday, celebrated on the 14th of July. It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. Festivities are held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic.

So when I thought of all things French that I love the first thing that popped into my head were "almond croissants". My husband and I were in Paris last year and we were staying near Luxembourg Gardens where there was a great patisserie near the Luxembourg Metro station. We would go there for breakfast pastries before we started our day, and I can almost still taste them when I think of our trip there. Ok, so from what the reviews say, this recipe is apparently fantastic, let me know how you go:

Almond Croissants

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold butter
• 3/4 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)
• 3 egg yolks
• FILLING:
• 1/2 cup almond paste
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• EGG WASH:
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add milk and egg yolks to yeast mixture; mix well. Stir into flour mixture; mix well. Do not knead. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat filling ingredients until smooth. Punch dough down. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each piece into a 12-in. circle; cut each circle into eight wedges. Spread filling over wedges; roll up from wide end. Place with point side down 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Curve ends to form a crescent shape. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour (dough will not double).
3. Beat egg white and water; brush over croissants. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

And now for a little DIY!! Ok, so one of the most famous landmarks in France has to be "la tour Eiffel", in the hear of Paris on Champ de Mars. Therefore, I thought your Bastille Day table could not be complete without Eiffel tower decorations :) In this DIY, you will need to download these images, enlarge them and print onto card, uut them out and glue the sides together to make the tower, e-mail me if you are having trouble and I can help you out!

I personally think that croissants and Eiffel towers are all you need for a perfect celebration, but if you are planning a Bastille Day celebration dinner, then I think all you need to complete the evening are some crepes :)


Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Happy Bastille Day!!

Happy Canada Day...AY!

I want to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day...ay!! My husband is Canadian so I thought it important to make a post about this important occasion in his homeland! I absolutely love Canada, having lived in Montreal for almost 4 years I immersed myself in the culture, who doesn't love Maple leaves, Snow, Bear crafts and Mounties ...ay? :)

Ok, so if you are planning on celebrating Canada Day here are some ideas for your celebration. I found this fabulous idea on the web to decorate a cake:

Canadian Flag Cake

You'll need:

* Pre-made cake (I'd use the packet mixes, they are sure to never fail)
* 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries, halved
* 2 cups thawed Cool Whip™ whipped topping

Layer the cake as you desire then use the cream and strawberries and copy the image above to make the flag design!

Totally love that! Martha's website did not have anything Canada related, except for these "Maple Leaf cookies". In the image you see, she has them in cute "Maple Leaf Boxes", which she decorated as below:

1. Line a chip-wood box (available at crafts stores in a variety of sizes) with wax tissue paper or colored glassine cut to fit.

2. Using a maple-leaf craft punch, cut leaves from sheets of colored paper or card stock, and attach 1 leaf to each lid using a glue stick. You could also cut out the designs on your own if you don't have the special maple leaf punch!

As a true Canadian family we always have Maple syrup in our house (the REAL stuff of course :)), and I thought these wonderful "maple syrup labels" were adorable, click on that link and you'll be able to download them, thanks again Martha :)

And if you are being super-decorating-guru you may want to make some maple leaf baskets for your table, you can download the maple leaf designs here!!

Happy Canada Day!!

Bring on Independence Day!

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a huge holiday here in the states commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Cannot wait for this awesome day, I love fireworks!

If you are planning a party for this special occasion, here are some great ideas!

Fun
I found this really cool idea for kids (or big kids). This would have been a hit with me as a kid and these days it's tempting to wear these around as I'm only 5'2" tall! You can find instructions on how to make these stilts here! I might even make these as we're spending the holiday in Las Vegas and I will definitely not be able to see over the crowds on Las Vegas Boulevard!

Decorating
This decorating set from one of my favourite blogsters, "Twig and Thistle", will make your 4th of July table very festive! Their downloadable PDF includes sparkler cards, matchbook wrappers and straw tags, awesome and simple, as always!

And OMG, these "Bald eagle Tissue Paper Lanterns" are hilarious, I am definitely making these :)

Food
Ok, so there are a million recipes on the web for "American" food, but nothing speaks "America" to me more than Cherry Cola, so I love this recipe for "Cherry Cola Cake"

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. chocolate cake mix(you can make your own chocolate cake if you wish)
  
• Cherry cola
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
• 1 recipe Celebration Icing
• 10 to 12 dark sweet cherries with stems

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions except substitute cherry cola for the liquid called for and add ground ginger and lime peel. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

2. Use a serrated knife to cut top of cake level. Trim edges of cake. Discard trimmed pieces. Cut cake in half lengthwise into two 13x4-1/2-inch rectangles. Place one rectangle on a serving platter. Spread with tinted icing. Top with second rectangle. Spread with white icing. Refrigerate cake for 1 hour or until icing is set. Wrap cake in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours before serving. Top each slice with a cherry. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Celebration Icing: This recipe is based a 1-lb. box (about 41/2 cups) of powdered sugar. In a medium mixing bowl beat 1/3 cup butter with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in 2 cups powdered sugar. Divide the mixture in half.

Happy 4th July America!

Bring on Chocolate Pudding Day!

Chocolate pudding originated as a variation of the more traditional chocolate custard. The North American version is usually a variation on the chocolate custard, however, the Australian version is often the steamed cake-like dessert. During the early years of chocolate pudding, it was considered a food item suitable for children who have a weak physical disposition. It was so because of the high calories, and therefore energy, quotient contained in chocolate. Later it became an item that found mention in the dessert menu of all self-respecting eateries. General Foods introduced the chocolate pudding mix in 1934 and it became famous as "Jell-O Chocolate Pudding" in 1936.

Chocolate Pudding Day is celebrated on June 26th, and it is definitely a great reason to toast to one of the most popular food items. Trivial it may seem to the purists when they hear of days being named after food-items which to their perception are sold in the back-streets, but they have always been the same. Go out there on Chocolate Pudding Day, have plenty of them and plan when to have them next! Calories do not count on Chocolate Pudding Day!

Either buy (if you HAVE to!) or make your own chocolate pudding! I love this recipe from Martha's website for "Potted" Chocolate Pudding!


Ingredients Makes 20 three-ounce servings (5 1/2 cups)

• 3/4 pint sugar
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 12 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 14 chocolate cookies, ground fine
• 20 sprigs edible, organic flowering herbs

Directions

1. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt in a medium pan. Combine cream, milk, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Whisk 2 cups liquid into dry ingredients until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Whisk in remaining cream mixture until smooth.
2. Place pan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 7 to 8 minutes. Add chocolate; cook, whisking until melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in butter until melted. Divide pudding between glasses, leaving about 1/2 inch at the top. Refrigerate until completely set, about 1 hour; chill until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, top each with 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed cookies, and "plant" an herb sprig. Serve cold.

Enjoy! Happy Chocolate Pudding Day!

Happy Father's Day!

It's that time of the year when we get to tell our dads how ace they are :) I love these holidays, especially when I am with my family. Unfortunately this year Daniel's dad is home in Canada and my dad is in Australia, although Australian father's day is not until September (it's the same in New Zealand). So even though we'll be celebrating with phone calls, if our dads were with us I would definitely have a moustache (Australian spelling) themed get together!

Ok, so here is a fabulous idea from the very talented "Sprinkle Bakes" for moustache themed cupcakes, I have to admit that these look amazing, and apparently men love the taste of these cakes!

If your dad is a coffee cup kind of guy you could give him this awesome cup from Urban Outfitters

They also have these awesome bandages

...and these fantastic pillow cases

Even Martha is in on the mustache decorating with her "Mustache on a Stick" DIY

Hope that gave you all some ideas for Sunday.....Happy Father's Day!

Going Cuckoo!

I thought that "National Cuckoo Warning Day" was a appropriate post for the blog due to the crazy past month or so, talk about super busy! I have no idea how the time passed, but I'm excited to get back to blogging and sharing the crazy holidays coming up :)

Every year Cuckoo Warning Day is celebrated on the 21st of June. The saying goes that if the cuckoo sings, your summer will be a wet one. So bring along a warm, bright and beautiful summer for yourself and your loved ones by sending them some warm wishes.

Perhaps because I was born in a town that borders Germany (lol) I feel drawn to cuckoo clocks, and have had a blast looking at all the wonderful contemporary cuckoo clocks that are available on the web. So in the spirit of "National Cuckoo Warning Day" I thought I would blog about these amazing cuckoo clock related items!

I adore this Cuckoo Clock Wall Hanging from decoylab on etsy.com as well as this Cuckoo Clock Ornament from Anthropologie.

I also really want to get this Cuckoo Clock Charming Silhouette from AFancifulTwist on etsy.com

and I know many lovely Jacksonville ladies would also love this Cake Time Tea Towel by MrPS, also on etsy.com (gees that website is great!).

In all of the items above the strongest theme to me seems to be modern, simple colours, and a retro feel. I am currently watching a few cuckoo clocks on e-bay. I plan to buy a clock and paint it one simple solid color, definitely thinking turquoise or vintage green! You could also buy a cuckoo clock image and add your own clock movement (you can pick these up for little money on e-bay).

Happy Cuckoo Day!!!